


Limerence

by Thursday26



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: 4 plus 1, Aged Up, Dates, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Misunderstandings, awkward babies, big brother!wally west, oblivious!Jaime, sex in last chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:20:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thursday26/pseuds/Thursday26
Summary: Bart and Jaime are a little clueless, but they eventually get it right.Or, alternatively, "Four times Jaime didn't know he was on a date with Bart and the one time he did"This is in the same universe asRedamancy. A continuation, if you will, but entirely stand alone.**rated Explicit for the last chapter
Relationships: Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes
Comments: 26
Kudos: 138





	1. The Lead Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluepulsebluepulse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluepulsebluepulse/gifts).



> Putting this link here again:  
> [ Redamancy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17445473/chapters/41076575)
> 
> Like I said before, this is a continuation of that universe, taking some time after the events of Redamancy, but you don't need to read that fic at all. All you really need to know from that fic is **spoilers** Dick and Wally make a bet to see who's better in bed. Artemis talks some sense into them, then they start dating. happily ever after **spoilers**
> 
> Check it out if you want, but not necessary. <3
> 
> Thank bluepulsebluepulse for this fic idea and for being so patient with me. This is a long time coming. And yes, no sex until much later, but I'll keep the rating explicit.

Jaime is having a rare day off, relaxing at home. His own home. Heroing doesn’t really pay the bills, but Jaime works at his dad’s garage most days and is saving up to go to school. He could live at home, but he doesn’t want to put anyone in his family in danger when it comes to the scarab on his back. The League has helped him, but he’s mostly done it on his own. He feels very proud of what he’s accomplished. 

But he’s having a day off, Khaji Da is quiet and he has a book he’s been meaning to read. Khaji Da says he doesn’t need to recharge, but he does go into an ‘off’ state when they’re relaxing. The first few times it worried Jaime, since Khaji Da is rarely so quiet, but now Jaime has come to associate the silence with the scarab being content. 

He’s got a snack and a drink and is ready to sink into his book when there’s a strong burst of wind through his little apartment, flipping the pages of his book wildly and upsetting some of the lighter knick-knacks he has scattered around the space. Jaime sighs in annoyance, putting his book on the coffee table with maybe a little more force than necessary.  _ “Impulse is in the vicinity,”  _ Khaji Da informs him. 

“You don’t say,” Jaime retorts, getting up from his spot. 

_ “He appears to be hiding in your bed.” _

Jaime sighs again and barely resists the urge to stomp. He’s an adult. Adults don’t stomp. 

He goes to his bedroom and swings the door open. “Bart, how many times have I told you to  _ knock _ and  _ wait for me to invite you inside _ before coming into my home,” Jaime says, exasperated, noting belatedly that Bart is buried under his blankets, much like a child would be when they see something scary. Doesn’t change the fact that Bart essentially broke into his house and messed up his bedroom. His mamá always told him to make his bed and now he’ll have to make it again. “Bart! You can’t just burst in here whenever you want–” 

“Jaime! Oh my god, it was horrible!” Bart cuts him off, sitting up quickly, the blankets pooling around him. He looks pale and maybe a little green.

“What?” Jaime asks, not freaking out. If it was really serious, Bart would’ve gone to Kaldur or Wonder Woman. Instead, he’s hiding in Jaime’s bed like a scared child. It’s more annoying than worrying.

“Can Khaji Da erase minds?” Bart asks desperately, jumping off the bed and clinging to Jaime’s arm. Jaime leans back, shocked at the request. Maybe he  _ should  _ be worried.

“What? Why? What did you see?” Jaime asks.

“Please, Jaime, you  _ have _ to erase my memories,” Bart pleads, big eyes desperately looking up at Jaime. Jaime blinks dumbly down at him.

_ “I cannot erase minds,” _ Khaji Da informs Jaime. 

“Khaji Da can’t,” he informs Bart, but then quickly adds, “and I wouldn’t let him even if he could! What on earth did you see?” 

Bart grabs onto Jaime’s shirt with a desperate hold, pulling Jaime’s face close to his. His eyes are wild and now there’s a blush on his cheeks. It’s a look that Jaime is pretty familiar with after years of friendship with Bart.“You shouldn’t be doing such things!” he says fiercely.

Jaime rolls his eyes. Only one thing gets Bart so worked up these days. “Did you walk in on someone having sex?” he asks, trying to pry Bart’s grip from his shirt. He doesn’t want it to get stretched; he likes this shirt. 

“Mm…” Bart makes a pained noise that might as well be a confession. 

Jaime sighs tiredly. “That’s what you get for phasing through doors instead of knocking like a normal person. And you should know better than just going into someone’s room. What else did you expect?” A thought strikes Jaime and he looks up at Bart, forgetting about prying his hold off for a moment. “Was it the Garricks?” 

Bart reels back, letting go himself. “No! They’re  _ old!” _

Jaime rolls his eyes again, pulling at the hem of his shirt in hopes of getting rid of some of the wrinkles. “Romance never dies,  _ hermano _ . Now take a deep breath and tell me who you saw so I can get back to my book. If you need to hide, you can stay here for a while. As long as you’re quiet.” 

“It was  _ horrible _ , Jaime,” Bart declares dramatically, grabbing Jaime  _ again _ and pulling him closer. When did Bart get so strong? His eyes are as big as saucers. “I see it every time I close my eyes, so I can’t blink anymore,” he whispers dramatically. 

Jaime bites his lip, trying really hard not to laugh in Bart’s face. This may be hilarious, but it isn’t cool to laugh in your friend’s face. “Who,  _ hermano?” _

Bart blinks quickly. “Dick and Wally.” 

This time, Jaime can’t control his laughter. Maybe he’s not as good of a friend as he thought. He’s not laughing because he finds the couple to be ridiculous, but the fact that Wally and Bart are practically brothers makes him feel like he has to laugh. And honestly, that explains a lot. 

“Don’t laugh at me, Jaime! I’m  _ scarred!” _ Bart yells, shaking Jaime a bit. Jaime tries to control himself, but he can’t. He doubles over, Bart finally releasing his shirt, and he holds his stomach, his sides starting to twinge from how hard he’s laughing. He can’t stop himself, so much so that he’s starting to have trouble breathing. “Fine, laugh at me, you big meanie,” Bart pouts, retreating back under the blankets. 

Jaime can’t stay on his feet. He goes to his knees, leaning against the bed and tries to catch his breath. It’s not easy. His face hurts from how big he’s smiling. “I’m sorry,” he gasps, the laughter starting to die out, but he can feel it ready to bubble over again in his chest. He puts his face into his arm, trying to concentrate on breathing because he knows looking at Bart will send him into hysterics again. 

“No, you’re not,” comes Bart’s muffled reply. “You’re laughing at me.” 

“Bart, you have to understand,” Jaime says slowly, taking deep breaths to calm down, “think about this from my point of view.” 

Jaime takes the moments of silence that follow to rein in his laughter, sitting up on the floor with only the occasional giggle escaping. “Okay…” Bart mumbles. “It is kind of funny.” Jaime giggles again and leans his chin against the bed, staring at the lump that is his best friend. “But you shouldn’t be laughing at me when I’m so upset!” 

“I am sorry for that,” Jaime concedes. Bart mutters something, either too fast or too quiet for Jaime to pick up on. Khaji Da is quiet. He’s not fond of these emotional outbursts and tends to rest when stuff like this is going on. Not that he’d be much help if he was interested, since most of his suggestions still consist of blowing something up. “I’ll try not to laugh anymore, Bart. Talk to me.”

Bart peeks out from under the blankets, squinting at Jaime. “Promise?”

Jaime sucks in a breath. “I can’t promise that.” 

Bart sighs loudly. “I guess that’s fair.” He throws off the blankets and props his head up on his hand and he lies on his side. His head is a little higher than Jaime’s, so he puts his chin in his hand, his elbow on the bed. They’re practically eye to eye this way. 

“Tell me what happened,” Jaime prompts. 

Bart groans, falling onto his back, arms over his head. “It was  _ horrible!”  _ he whines. “Wally promised me he’d go on a run with me this evening! Promised that we’d do some running through the mountains!” Bart pouts, rolling onto his stomach. “And he didn’t show up at our meeting spot,  _ again _ , so I went to go and find him.” 

“So you ran into his house?” Jaime asks. “What do you expect? Showing up uninvited.” 

“I’m pretty sure Wally had an appointment with  _ me  _ first,” Bart snipes, glaring at Jaime. Jaime snorts. “And I never run into the bedroom! I know I have problems with going through doors, but I don’t do bedrooms.” 

“Just mine?” Jaime asks with a raised eyebrow. 

“I know you’re too boring to be doing anything mentally scarring,” Bart teases. Jaime gasps, mock-offended, and Bart sticks out his tongue. It’s not cute. “But I didn’t go into Wally’s bedroom,” he continues. 

Now Jaime is confused. “So where did you go?” 

Bart smiles at him. “See? You’re too boring.” Jaime glares. “They were doing it in the living room,” he clarifies. 

Jaime’s eyes go wide and he can feel his cheeks going red. Do people really do that? Jaime isn’t a virgin, he’s had girlfriends before, but he’s never done anything outside of a bedroom. Is he boring? No, he can’t be. No one has complained… Bart sighs heavily. “It was awful. They were both buck naked, just fuck bucking naked,” Bart laments. “I saw Wally’s penis.” Jaime is using every muscle in his face to keep from laughing at that statement, so he stares at Bart, holding his breath. “It was traumatizing.” 

“Bart,” Jaime says calmly, “if you don’t want me to laugh, you can’t say shit like that.” 

Bart frowns. “Then what am I supposed to say?” 

Jaime shakes his head. “I have no idea, but I don’t need a play-by-play.” 

“Oh? So you don’t need to hear how those two looked?” 

Jaime shakes his head. “No, I don’t.” 

Bart’s face slowly breaks into a smirk. Why is he smirking? Jaime narrows his eyes. “So you  _ don’t _ need to hear that they were on the floor,” Bart says. Jaime feels his eyes go wide in horror. “Or that Wally was right in Dick’s lap. He looked like he was having a good time.” 

“Stop,” Jaime says. 

“What? Why?” Bart asks innocently. “You asked me what happened and I’m telling you that Wally was–” 

Jaime slaps his hand over Bart’s mouth. He really doesn’t need to hear it. “Please don’t?” Jaime tries, smiling weakly.

Bart huffs and rolls his eyes, but nods. “Mm-hm.”

“Thank you,” Jaime says, removing his hand. 

“It’s weird, though, isn’t it?” Bart asks. 

Jaime frowns. “No? I mean, it explains a lot.” 

Now Bart looks confused. “Explains what?” 

Jaime shrugs. “Dick’s been a lot happier lately and we’ve seen Wally around the base more, which is weird since he’s mostly taken over for Central City. They aren’t, like, all over each other in front of everyone, but they do spend a lot of time together.” 

“What? No, that’s not what I meant,” Bart says, sitting up and crossing his legs. “I mean it’s weird that they’re like… best friends, right?” 

“Isn’t the idea to date your best friend?” Jaime counters. 

“Yes, like… that’s the ideal,” Bart agrees. “But what if it doesn’t work out? Couldn’t they ruin their friendship?” 

Jaime shrugs. “I wouldn’t know, you’d have to ask them.” He gets to his feet with a groan, stretching out his knees. “And if you’re going into a relationship thinking it’s going to fail, then it will fail. They’re in it for the long haul.” 

Bart is oddly quiet and subdued, looking at his hands in his lap. “I guess,” he says. Jaime wonders why he’s gotten quiet.

“You going to be okay,  _ hermano?” _ Jaime asks. Bart likes being around people a lot, and he tends to be the center of attention, but Jaime also knows his best friend. Whenever he wants to process something, or just think, Bart likes to spend some time alone. 

Bart nods. “Yeah… I think… I might have a nap.” 

Jaime nods, internally doubting that’s what Bart will do. Due to their nature, speedsters’ naps are few and far between and one power nap can throw off Bart’s sleep schedule for days. “Alright, when you wake up, we’ll go out for lunch. Your treat, for breaking in.” 

Bart smiles, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “Okay.” 

Jaime ruffles Bart’s hair and leaves the room without another word. He shuts the door almost all the way behind him and Bart stays silent. Jaime heads back to his couch and his book, sighing happily as he settles in again. 

He’s only just gotten comfortable when his phone buzzes. Jaime sighs. Maybe this is the universe telling him that he shouldn’t have days off.  _ “It’s the Flash,” _ Khaji Da informs him. 

Jaime groans, fishing out his phone and answering it without looking at it. “Hello, Wally,” he sighs.

_ “Is he with you?” _ Wally asks without preamble. 

“Of course he is, but don’t come over.” 

_ “What? Shouldn’t I talk to him about this?” _

Jaime rolls his eyes. “Dude, he just walked in on, essentially, his brother having sex. Let him come to you.” 

Wally groans.  _ “He told you?” _

Jaime snorts. “Of course he told me. It was the funniest thing that’s happened this week.” 

_ “Shit.” _

“Don’t worry, Wally,” Jaime assures him. “Bart’s thinking right now and everything will be fine, just give him time to process.” 

_ “But what if he hates me? Or thinks less of me?” _

“Why would he think that?” Jaime asks, genuinely confused. Bart adores Wally and looks up to him much like a younger brother looks up to a big brother. 

_ “Well… he just ran out before I could talk to him… and I’ve never… Dick’s the first guy I’ve dated and… I don’t know…” _

“Wally,” Jaime says flatly, almost chiding. “Bart ran like hell because he saw your  _ dick _ . I don’t think he cares that you’re with a guy.” 

_ “Oh, god.”  _

Jaime laughs. “Don’t get so worked up over Bart bailing on you. He’s reacting exactly how you would expect a brother to react.”

Wally sighs in relief.  _ “Okay.” _

“Well, don’t think it’ll be that easy,” Jaime warns. “Once Bart processes this,  _ everyone  _ is going to hear about it. It’s fucking hilarious.” Jaime laughs, unable to help himself. “Even if he doesn’t tell everyone, this is a fucking funny story from my end.” 

Wally groans.  _ “I should’ve prepared for this… he’s almost caught us a few times.” _

“Wally, you’re like a brother to me, so I say this with love, please talk to Dick about this. This is hilarious, but I don’t need to know what goes on behind closed doors.” 

_ “Well, it’s not always  _ closed doors _ –” _

“Bye, Wally,” Jaime cuts him off, hanging up. He’s smiling, but he doesn’t want to think about it. Sure, Dick and Wally are an attractive couple, but Wally is like a brother, and Nightwing is pretty much his boss. Or one of them. Jaime doesn’t want to think of what they get into in their private time. 

He drops his phone on the couch and makes a point to open up his book to the first pages. There’s a moment where Jaime is sure that he’ll be interrupted, again, but nothing happens. It’s only by the third page that he finally relaxes and lets himself get lost in the narrative. He’s not sure how much time passes before Bart emerges from his room, quiet and subdued, obviously still deep in thought, with Jaime’s blanket in his arms. 

Jaime sighs and lifts up his arm so Bart can curl into his side. Bart has always been tactile like that and Jaime will admit that it’s nice. They settle in together in silence and Jaime relaxes entirely. 

This isn’t a bad way to spend his night off.

* * *

Bart takes a week to build up the courage to speak to Wally. Well that’s what he tells himself. The first four days, he was avoiding Wally because every time he looked at his mentor, all he could see was him riding Dick’s lap. 

The next few days were actually building up the courage to speak with Wally after he watched Dick and Wally a little more closely. They seem so happy together, at ease and bright. Loose in a way that Bart didn’t realize that they could accomplish. They smile at each other more and make jokes more often. Even Wally, who makes  _ so many  _ bad jokes. Once the embarrassment receded a bit, Bart could admit that he was happy for the two. But then that happiness slowly turned into a bitterness, the start of jealousy. Not that Bart wants Dick or Wally, they’re family. No, there’s something else that’s eating Bart and he thinks he has to talk to Wally about it. He could talk to other people, but Wally is his brother. 

So he’s made plans to visit Wally, making him promise to not have Dick over because he has something he wants to talk about. Bart should feel lucky that Wally and Dick aren’t living together now. He needs to talk to Wally alone and if they lived together, they’d probably live in Blüdhaven. Bart doesn’t really like that city, but Wally still has his place in Central City. 

Bart’s nervous as he knocks on Wally’s door. That last time he ran in uninvited was enough to make him shy away from entrances like that again, but, sadly, Bart knows that this will only be temporary. The door swings open and Wally is there with a warm smile. “Hey, Bart. Come in. You want a snack?” 

“Sure,” Bart responds automatically, shuffling into Wally’s house. He makes a point to not look at the spot where he caught Dick and Wally last week. Wally goes into the kitchen and Bart follows, head down. Now that he knows that they don’t always get their business done in the bedroom, he’s imagining them going at it everywhere. Sure, it’s always been a possibility, but  _ knowing _ it makes it worse. Bart sits at the kitchen table and twiddles his thumbs, trying not to think about Dick and Wally having sex on the table. He hopes that it’s not true, but he has no idea. He also won’t ask.

Wally hums as he puts together four sandwiches, giving two to Bart and taking two for himself. “Water good for you?” he asks. Bart nods. 

Wally grabs two bottles from his fridge and sits across from Bart, after handing Bart a water bottle. “Thanks,” Bart says, putting the bottle by the plate and staring at the food. He knows he could eat, and that he probably should–he didn’t have a big breakfast–but his stomach is tied in knots. 

“You okay, Bart?” Wally asks after a few minutes of only Wally’s chewing. He sets down his sandwich and gives Bart his full attention. 

Bart nods. “Yeah… I’m just… I’m thinking about stuff and I don’t know how to bring it up.” 

“Are you upset?” Wally asks, and that confuses Bart. He gives Wally a quizzical look. “I mean are you upset that Dick is a guy? That I’m dating a guy?” Wally clarifies, the corners of his mouth turning down with concern. 

“What?” Bart asks, dumbfounded. “No. What? Why would that bother me? You know I’m gay, right?” Wally’s cheeks turn red and he looks away. Bart is surprised. “You don’t know?” 

“Well, you never said,” Wally defends himself. “And I have no idea what your childhood was like or how the future treated this sort of thing. It’s still being fought for today, so… I didn't want to make any assumptions.” 

Bart smiles softly. “Well, it wasn’t perfect, but it definitely wasn’t as big of a deal as people nowadays seem to think it is. But there were more important things to worry about than who was sleeping with who.” Wally nods in understanding and Bart is grateful. He doesn’t like talking about everything that led him to building that time machine and kissing his own present goodbye. Dinah has told him he’s avoiding his problems; Bart would argue that he doesn’t see a point in worrying about something that’s not going to happen anymore. 

“I’m not upset about you and Dick, Wally,” Bart says sincerely. “I’m really happy for both of you. You look really, really happy together.” 

Wally gets a small, dopey smile on his face that makes Bart instantly jealous. He wants that kind of love, that kind of happiness in his life. “Yeah, we are,” Wally says softly. “It’s not always easy because we’re, well, us, but that’s also what makes it awesome.” 

Bart nods, biting his lip to stave off the bitterness he wants to feel. “How’d you do it?” 

Wally blinks at him. “Do what?” 

Bart crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs. “Get with Dick.” 

“I’m not sure I understand.” 

“How did you know it was the right thing to do?” 

Wally still looks confused. He scratches the side of his head. “Um, I still don’t really get what you mean. Like that was just something I knew, I guess.” 

Bart bites his lip again, staring holes into the still-untouched sandwiches in front of him. “How did you know it was worth the risk?” he asks quietly. 

“Oh,” Wally says. Then after a moment of contemplative silence, he says another  _ “Oh” _ with more emphasis, heavy with understanding. 

Bart shrinks under Wally’s look. He feels exposed and he hasn’t said anything. “Well,” says Wally, clearing his throat, “I don’t think you’re going to like my answer because I didn’t know.” 

Bart pouts. “Seems like a stupid thing to do.” 

Wally laughs. “Yeah, it was. We went about it all wrong, and we were lucky that we got to where we are.”

“Luckier than just Dick liking you back?” 

“Absolutely,” Wally agrees immediately. “I was fucking lucky because Artemis talked to Dick and Dick made the first move. I was ready to pine until I made another bet.” 

“Bet?” 

Wally flinches a little. “Yeah… we… we made a bet about who was better in bed and um… slept together a couple of times before Artemis talked to Dick.” 

Bart stares at Wally for a second. “So you’re saying I should have talked to Artemis?” 

Wally laughs loudly. “Probably.” Bart can’t help but smile, some of the nerves easing in his chest. Somehow, knowing that Wally ending up with Dick was partially good luck eases some of his nerves. “Seriously, though… I don’t think this sort of thing is something you can be entirely sure about. Me and Dick were dancing around each other and our feelings and Dick took the first step. He was vulnerable first, and that must have been really hard to do, and scary. I’m grateful that he did, though. I don’t think I’ve been happier.” 

“So you’re telling me that I have to… be honest?” Bart asks incredulously. He could've watched a romcom and gotten the same lesson. 

Wally shrugs. “Is he worth it?” 

Bart freezes. “Who?” 

Wally gives him a flat look. “I might not be Batman, but even I’m not that stupid. Yeah, I didn’t know you’re gay, but now I do, and you’re asking me about dating someone who you could consider a best friend. And there’s only one guy that you’ve been friends with ever since you came back.” 

Bart’s heart tightens, hoping that Wally doesn’t say who it is. It feels like it would make it too real. 

Wally sits back in his chair, his demeanor turning a little sad. “I know what it’s like to want your best friend, I know how it feels to be scared out of your mind that you’ll lose whatever you have because of some feelings.” 

Bart swallows, tears pricking his eyes, stomach hardening. 

Wally takes a moment before he speaks again. “People might think I’d give you the advice to just go for it, honesty is the best policy and all that, but I’m fucking lucky. Luckier than most. I’ve died, come back, got my powers back, and built up a good relationship with my ex to the point where she’s the reason I get to be so happy now. That’s a lot of luck and a lot of years.” 

“So I should just keep it to myself then?” Bart asks, hating that conclusion, especially if it hurts like this. 

“I didn’t say that,” Wally says firmly. “I’m not going to tell you to blindly confess your feelings, Bart. This sort of thing… I don’t know if I could’ve survived it if Dick didn’t like me back and, luckily, I don’t have to know what that feels like. You have to look into yourself to see if it’s worth it. Is the pain of not knowing and watching him go through life without knowing how you feel worse than the feeling you would get if you told him and he didn’t return your feelings? This is about protecting yourself. Love, romance, it’s always a gamble. You’ll never for sure know the outcome.” 

“That isn’t very helpful, Wally.” 

“No, it’s not,” Wally agrees. “I did my math and decided that it would hurt less to not be with Dick instead of taking a gamble. That was my decision. Dick was the one who took the gamble and I’m so fucking grateful for that and I’m not going to waste my chance now that I have it, but I was way too scared to take that first step.” 

Bart groans, running his hands through his hair. “I don’t even know if he likes me. He treats me the same as he always does.” 

Wally shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you, Bart. You have to make the decision for yourself, and that fucking sucks. All I know is that life is too short and we live dangerous lives. I’m making up for lost time on my part.” 

Bart nods in understanding. As much as Wally’s talk isn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, he can grudgingly admit that it is a little helpful. Bart wants a direct answer, a ‘tell him’ or ‘don’t tell him.’ Instead he gets mature Wally, with his philosophy and maturity and his not giving direct answers. Bart blames Dick. “Oh, and Bart?” 

Bart looks at Wally. He has a serious look on his face. “If Jai–your friendship is ruined because you admit to him that you have a crush, then the friendship wasn’t that strong in the first place.” 

Bart’s stomach twists. “I don’t like that.” 

Wally shrugs. “You’re not supposed to, but I personally doubt that he would be like that. He’s a good guy and if he doesn’t reciprocate, I doubt he’ll hold it against you.” Wally smiles. “I know fear makes it hard to remember this, but you’ve got  _ good friends _ , Bart. This guy is a  _ good guy _ . Make sure you give him the credit he deserves, okay?” 

_ That _ actually really helps to hear. Wally is right. He’s winding himself up like everything will turn sour and he’ll be the butt of a cruel joke forever if it doesn’t work out the way he would like it to. Wally is right, he has to give credit where credit is due. “Thank you,” Bart says, finally relaxed enough to dig into his food. “So this bet,” Bart says, enjoying the way that Wally turns bright red. “How did you expect it to work?” 

“Well… I was drunk when I suggested it–” 

“Bullshit,” Bart says, knowing that Wally’s metabolism makes it almost impossible for him to get drunk. There’s a compound that Wally makes for himself, but it’s not easy to make, so he saves it for special occasions. “Now tell me how this bet came about or I might have to track down Artemis for a chat.” 

Wally groans, but he’s smiling. It may be an embarrassing story, but Wally is generally shameless about stuff that makes him happy. Dick definitely makes him happy, so it’ll be hard to get Wally to shut up about him. For now, Bart will listen, if only to keep his mind off his own problems. 


	2. Date One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date, the first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know I started posting yesterday, but my beta edited everything so fast and i thought "why wait??!" at least to give y'all a taste of what's to come! 
> 
> I'm going to try and add tags as i go (since im really bad at them) so if there's anything that you think i'm missing, please please let me know <3
> 
> she's a short chapter, but we love her all the same <3

It takes Bart another week to decide that it’s worse to pine than to put himself out there. He understands Wally’s position and doesn’t think any less of him for not making the first move, but this is his life. Bart has an entirely different set of life experiences than Wally. Bart has left everything he’s ever known behind, adjusted to this strange time, and managed to carve a space for himself that he he was never meant to have. Asking Jaime Reyes out on a date seems tame in comparison to all of that. 

Even if he felt like he might die when he asked Jaime to the movies two days after making his decision not to just pine. Jaime said yes, and Bart felt like his heart might explode from happiness. He didn’t even mind that Jaime didn’t look affected by the question. Bart chalked that up to him not being as subtle with his crush as he thought he was. The reasons don’t matter; Bart has a date! 

Movies. A simple date idea. A classic. And the first thing that popped into Bart’s head when he stutteringly asked Jaime “D-Do you want to go out Friday?” Yes, he had resolved to ask Jaime out, but it wasn’t until that moment that Bart even thought of a date idea. It worked out, so Bart isn’t too upset. And there’s a movie that they both want to see in theaters, so everything is working itself out. 

They meet outside the theater, Bart showing up exactly at the time they agreed upon and Jaime putting away his phone as Bart approaches him. Bart takes a minute to observe Jaime. It’s almost unfair how effortlessly good he looks. Bart spent an hour freaking out about his outfit, but for him that hour may as well have been four since he kept on speeding up as his anxiety increased. It took him too long to decide on red skinny jeans, a plain grey shirt, and a light black jacket. On his feet are what people have dubbed the “speedster shoes,” a pair of yellow high-tops that are designed to withstand high speeds. He didn’t bother with his hair, since it looks windswept most of the time. Jaime, on the other hand, looks casually attractive: black pants that fit him well, a blue shirt, and a zip up hoodie a darker blue than the shirt he’s wearing. He looks comfortable and he greets Bart with a smile. “Hey, I’ll get the tickets and you stand in line for the snacks?” Jaime asks. 

Bart nods, swallowing the lump of nerves in his throat. They go to the movies all the time. He shouldn’t be so nervous. “Sure! Find me at the concession with our tickets?” Like Bart needs to ask. They always do this. He doesn’t move right away though, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Jaime gives him a confused look. “You-you look nice,” Bart says, cringing internally. 

Jaime looks more confused. “Thanks,  _ hermano _ … you look nice, too?” He looks at Bart’s outfit. “Is that a new jacket?” 

Bart nods, happiness bubbling in his chest. “Uh-huh! Dick got it for me!” He leans in and whispers conspiratorially, “I think he’s trying to buy my silence.” 

Jaime laughs, putting an arm around Bart’s shoulders and pulling him close. Bart has to fight the blush he feels creeping up onto his face. Jaime starts walking into the theater, Bart under his arm. “I don’t even think Bruce Wayne could buy your silence,  _ hermano.” _

Bart laughs. “I wouldn’t discourage him from trying, though.” 

Just like that, the nerves Bart was feeling leave him. This is Jaime, he shouldn’t feel so terrified. Jaime is his best friend. 

* * *

Coming out of the theater is a lot different than going into it. For one, the sun is setting and the air is caught between warm and cooling off and there’s the rush of seeing a good movie. Bart is listening intently as Jaime gushes about a scene that he liked. He knows he tends to dominate their conversations, so Bart always tries to listen to Jaime when he wants to ramble. 

They stop at the spot they met and Bart continues to listen to Jaime go on. He’s even talking with his hands, which Bart finds adorable and wishes he could kiss that adorable face. Like that, Bart is suddenly nervous again. Is this where he’s supposed to kiss Jaime? Should he wait for Jaime to kiss him? His palms start sweating as Jaime wraps up his point. 

He’s suddenly very glad that he’s feeling nervous  _ now _ and not earlier, since he managed to hold Jaime’s hand for most of the movie. Holding someone’s hand with sweaty palms? Not cute. Bart tries to wipe his hands on his pants, hopefully without Jaime noticing. “–it was so good!” Jaime nearly yells, his eyes wide and his smile bright. 

“Yeah!” Bart agrees. “I’m so glad we were able to go together.” 

Jaime nods. “Yeah, I’m glad I got to see it with you, too.” He pulls out his cell phone, checking the time. “Ah, I gotta get home. I told my dad I’d help out in the morning and I should be getting to sleep soon.” 

Bart’s heart drops a bit, but he forces the smile to stay on his face. It’s not unusual for Jaime to do that for his dad but… Bart tries not to think about why he feels so disappointed. “O-Okay,” Bart says, forcing cheer into his tone. “I had fun tonight.” 

Jaime gives him a confused smile, but doesn’t seem too put off. “Yeah, me too.” He starts to walk away. “See you tomorrow?” 

Bart’s really disappointed now and it’s hard to keep it off his face, but he must manage because Jaime doesn’t seem to notice. “Definitely! Have fun!” He even manages to keep his voice happy. 

Bart only allows himself to watch Jaime leave for a few moments before he turns and heads in the opposite direction. Why is he so upset? Bart tries to avoid the idea that Jaime was pretending that he didn’t agree to a date because he changed his mind. Jaime wouldn’t do that to Bart though. Knowing that, though, doesn’t take the sting out of not getting kissed, nor the promise of another date, in so many words. Sure, they’ll see each other tomorrow, but they always hang out.

Still, Jaime is a pretty traditional guy. Or maybe old-fashioned is a better description, especially considering the fact that the thought of someone having sex outside the bedroom is wild for Jaime. Maybe he doesn’t kiss on the first date. Bart nods to himself. That’s it. Jaime was also probably just as nervous as Bart, so Bart has to make the first move again to plan a second date. 

That’s it. 

Bart pulls out his own phone and starts searching for date ideas. It might help if they could talk the entire time they’re together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay! date one!


	3. Date Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date, the second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, i am double posting. I'm gagging to get it all out. It's essentially done im just editing rn
> 
> i love these guys so much! Enjoy!

Bart knew that as soon as he got the date set that it would go to shit. He had it all planned out perfectly: there was a new Italian restaurant that had only been open for a few weeks, so Jaime hasn’t gone there yet. The atmosphere was casual, but not like Olive Garden. And Bart had already had the  _ perfect _ outfit for the date. 

So of course Aqualad called them in for a mission and of course they had to be deployed immediately. Why couldn’t the bad guys, you know,  _ not _ interrupt date night? Just seems rude. And they could’ve made it easier because they were called away soon enough that if it was a quick enough mission, they could catch a late dinner. But  _ noooooooooooooo… _ the mission wrapped up and they got back close to midnight. Too late to go anywhere. 

Bart is tired and sweaty and he hates that this night was ruined. Jaime looked exhausted and just as sweaty, but he approached Bart once everyone else wandered off to the showers or to home. “I know we had plans,” Jaime says, clapping Bart on the shoulder, “but how about you come to my place instead? We’ll cook some nachos and watch a bad movie.”

Bart can feel himself lighting up from the inside. “Really?” he asks, taking effort not to bounce on his toes. 

Jaime smiles, beautiful. “Yeah. I know you were looking forward to that restaurant, but the night is still young, yeah?” 

“But what about work?” Bart asks. “You usually help on Saturdays.” 

Jaime shakes his head. “Already got the day off. Dad knows that this stuff makes it hard for me to be functioning the next day. I’ll go in Sunday instead.” 

“Okay,” Bart says happily. “Race you there and I’m stealing your clothes!” he yells, taking off before Jaime can react. There’s no way for Jaime to beat him and Bart doesn’t need a key.

He goes into Jaime’s house without any of his neighbors being the wiser and makes use of Jaime’s shower, leaving his uniform in a puddle on the bathroom floor. Jaime has the best water pressure, even if he has the smallest hot water tank. Bart takes a quick shower, borrowing Jaime’s shampoo, and trying to leave as much hot water for Jaime as he can. Jaime will need to shower as well, but Bart can’t think about that or he will use all the hot water. 

Bart steps out of the shower and groans. He forgot that Jaime doesn’t store his spare towels in the bathroom, like a normal person. They’re in the closet in the hall. Bart shakes off the water on him a bit, so he doesn’t drip all over Jaime’s floor, and walks into the hall completely naked. 

He’s digging through the towels, trying to find the softest one, when Jaime’s front door opens. With the way his place is set up, you can see down the hall from the front door. Jaime sputters and quickly shuts the door, leaving himself outside. “Bart! Why are you naked?!” he yells through the door. 

“Where’s your fluffy towel?!” Bart yells back, frowning. He’s rummaged through all the towels and he can’t find  _ the _ towel. 

“It’s in the laundry!” Jaime tells him. “Now why are you naked?!” 

Bart pouts and chooses a towel at random and wraps it around his waist. “I’m decent.” Jaime cautiously enters the house again, peeking at Bart through his fingers. Bart rolls his eyes. “Don’t act like you’ve never seen me naked before, and you know that towel is mine!” 

Jaime sighs, shaking his head. “I’m pretty sure that towel was a gift for me,  _ hermano _ . Now get dressed and start the nachos. I’ll only be a minute.” 

Bart grumbles, stomping half-heartedly into Jaime’s room and stealing some of his comfier clothes. He steals one of Jaime’s softest sweaters and a pair of sweatpants that he has to roll the bottoms up for. Then he steals a pair of fuzzy socks that he had gifted Jaime last Christmas. They’re bright yellow and well-worn. Bart smiles, thinking about Jaime using his gifts. 

Then he goes into the kitchen as he hears the shower turn off. He rummages around Jaime’s kitchen, gathering supplies, but taking his time. Bart knows how to make nachos, but he’s nowhere near as good as Jaime at making them. 

It doesn’t take long for Jaime to come into the kitchen, wearing a soft-looking faded black shirt and some comfortable sleep pants, his bare feet poking out the bottom. “Couldn’t get them started?” Jaime asks with a smile, moving to start putting everything together. 

Bart smiles innocently. “You’re way better at it than me.” He jumps up to sit on the kitchen counter and watches Jaime move while he swings his legs. Jaime scoffs but makes their food without another word. Bart watches him, his heart full. This is already much nicer than some stuffy restaurant. Although Bart has this fantasy that while their meal cooks, Jaime stands between his legs and they share tiny kisses until the timer goes off. It’s a nice thought to have, but that doesn’t happen. Instead they talk about the mission, laughing about how Kon face planted into a mud puddle by accident and other funny situations. Jaime cleans up as he talks and prepares them drinks. Sure the kissing would be nice, but this is also nice. 

Then their food is ready and they set up camp on the couch and are arguing about which movie to watch. Eventually, Bart wins and they settle in. The movie is something they’ve both seen before, but love to watch together. It’s a good choice. Especially with the way that Jaime laughs along with him and relaxes against Bart’s side. 

When their nacho plate is empty, they settle in a lot more comfortably. Bart gets under Jaime’s arm and snuggles in close. Jaime holds Bart close and sighs, slouching into the couch, pulling the blanket he keeps in the living room over both of them. Bart sighs happily, letting his eyes drift shut. He casually holds onto Jaime’s hand and lets his other hand rest on his thigh. It may be forward, but Bart is comfortable. And he’s starting to crash. 

He falls asleep with a smile on his face. Not a bad second date. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully you're enjoying it so far <3 
> 
> let me know <3


	4. Date Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date, the third.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting around to posting this! sorry it just took a lot of effort to get online! 
> 
> another chapter to come, so make sure that you read the chapters right!

Jaime is out for a walk. Yes, he trains a lot to keep in shape, but there’s something about a leisurely walk that he’s always liked. So whenever he has the time, he goes out for a few hours and takes in some fresh air. He has some earbuds if he wants to listen to music, but he rarely does. He knows Khaji Da enjoys these silent walks. Khaji Da is rarely in his rest mode during these times, but he’s always quiet. 

He’s about twenty minutes into his walk when he gets a phone call. The caller ID says Bart (well, it actually says ‘Chicken Whizzies’ but he knows that’s Bart). He sighs and answers the call.  _ “Hola.” _

_ “Ho-la!” _ Bart chirps. Jaime can’t help but smile at the mispronunciation.  _ “What’s going on? You want to hang out?”  _

“I’m going for a walk,” Jaime says. “I just started.” 

_ “A walk? Do you have a dog?” _

Jaime chuckles. “No, people can go on walks because they like them. Walks aren’t dog-only ventures.” 

_ “Why would you ever want to walk anywhere? You can fly!”  _

Jaime shrugs. “I like it. It’s nice to just slow down sometimes.” Bart hisses at the comment and Jaime laughs. “I know, I know. Slowing down is the devil. I’ll be out a couple of hours, I can call you when I get home and we can do something, yeah?” 

There’s a moment of silence.  _ “Can I come?” _ Bart asks shyly. 

Jaime frowns. “ _ You _ want to go on a  _ walk?” _

_ “The Impulse will not enjoy moving slower than a brisk jog,”  _ Khaji Da cuts in. 

_ “Well,”  _ it sounds like Bart is pouting,  _ “you like walks and I like you, so I might as well see what all the fuss is about.” _

Jaime blinks. “Okay… if you want to you can join me. I walked south from my place.” 

_ “See ya in a flash!” _

Jaime snorts and hangs up. Wally doesn’t say that often, but Bart says it liberally, earning glares and rolled eyes from almost everyone. Bart is very proud of the reactions he gets. Jaime, for some reason, still finds it funny. He doesn’t walk for much longer before he feels a burst of wind and there’s a person beside him. Bart is smiling up at him and Jaime smiles in response. “Hello!” Bart says happily. 

“Hey, Bart. You ready for a couple of hours of walking?” Jaime asks. 

Bart grimaces, but it doesn’t last for long. “With you?” He grabs onto Jaime’s hand and interlocks their fingers, swinging their hands back and forth a bit. “I think I can stand that.” Jaime’s heart flutters at the contact and he shakes his head in amusement. 

“You say such cheesy things,” Jaime sighs. Bart chuckles and latches onto Jaime’s arm, nuzzling his shoulder. It’s cute. Jaime wonders why Bart is acting like this. Not that it’s bad, or that Jaime finds it awkward, but if anyone were to see them, they would assume that Bart and Jaime are on a date. 

That thought has Jaime’s stomach doing flips, although he’s not sure why. He and Bart are good friends, and Bart has always been a little more affectionate than his other friends, but they’re not dating. Bart is his best friend and doesn’t even like him like that. Well, sometimes he might, but those are just passing thoughts. Nothing to be taken seriously. It’s just because his romantic life is stagnant right now. Once he starts dating someone, the inappropriate thoughts he has about his best friend will stop.

Besides, Jaime hasn’t been able to see a difference in the way Bart acts. Bart has always been affectionate, and he may be a little more affectionate lately, but that doesn’t mean that Bart likes him. Just because someone is  _ nice _ doesn’t mean they automatically have a crush on you.

_ Dios mío, _ a crush? What is he? Twelve?

The walk is nice. Sometimes Bart says something and they talk briefly about something or other, from the color of the sky to some team gossip that has them giggling. But the conversations are nice and held at a reasonable volume. And Bart doesn’t go off on long rambles, instead seeming to try and figure out what’s so great about a quiet walk. Bart follows Jaime’s lead without question and Jaime takes the long way around, not wanting this walk to end. Jaime isn’t sure why. 

Most people would assume that hanging out with Bart would be a never-ending stream of conversation, and some days that can be the case, but those people don’t really know Bart like he does. He doesn’t even think Bart realizes that Jaime knows him that well. Sure, Bart likes to talk, but Jaime knows that Bart doesn’t speak to hear his own voice. He’s pretty sure that a lot of Bart’s mannerisms are affectations that people expect of him. This Bart, the one laughing with him and quietly talking about their teammates with a wicked grin, the one holding his hand and staying close, Jaime thinks is the real Bart. He feels honored that he’s one of the people who gets to see him like this. 

He’s almost disappointed when they circle back around to his place. He has no idea what they can do together, but Jaime doesn’t get to say anything. Bart smiles up at him, a blush on his cheeks. “Thanks for the walk, even if it was suuuuuper boring,” he laughs. 

Jaime smiles. “I had fun, too.” 

Bart snickers, shaking his head. Then he bites his lip, seeming to think about something. Before Bart can say anything, he jumps. Jaime startles. Bart pulls out his phone, dropping Jaime's hand in the process. Jaime’s hand feels cold.. Bart sighs unhappily as he opens a message. “It’s Wally. He wants me to help him out with something in Central.” He goes up on tiptoe and kisses Jaime on the jaw, right under his ear. Jaime’s eyes go wide, but he doesn’t have time to respond. “See ya! We’ll have to do this again!” 

Then he’s gone. Jaime waves, his other hand going to the spot where Bart kissed him. That’s not weird, right? Bart is always touchy-feely and lovey-dovey. A platonic kiss isn’t that far out of the ordinary, right? 

Jaime doesn’t stop thinking about the kiss all night. He feels like he hopes that the kiss had meant more. That doesn’t make sense, though: he and Bart are  _ just _ friends. 


	5. Date Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date, the fourth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where we start getting into it!!!
> 
> I posted the third date today as well, not too long ago, tbh, so make sure that you've read that one! it's like, super cute 
> 
> Yeah, hopefully this will be done before the week is out! just getting it all edited!
> 
> EDIT: I finally fixed the tye situation!!!

Jaime feels off-balance nowadays. Bart is keeping him off balance by just being himself and Jaime can barely handle it. Why did Jaime have to go and develop a crush on his best friend? Why does Bart have to be so incredibly adorable and impossible _not_ to develop a crush on? 

The worst part of it is: Bart hasn’t been acting differently. It’s been Jaime that’s been turning Bart’s friendly, innocent interactions into something more than they are. Every hand hold, hug, and cuddle is met with Jaime’s racing heart and a fight to keep himself from blushing. Bart has _always_ been affectionate. The touches mean _nothing._ No matter what Khaji Da tells him, nor how annoyed he’s getting with Jaime. It means nothing.

It’s Jaime’s dumb fault that his heart races when Bart asks to go to the movies again. Jaime immediately thinks of hiding in the back of the theater and making out like teenagers, but that’s not what Bart is like. He just wants to spend time with his friend and watch a movie. Jaime needs to keep his head, so he invites Tye to tag along. No way his mind will wander when Tye is also there. 

Jaime might’ve forgot to mention it to Bart that Tye was tagging along though. He doesn’t know what Bart’s face said before he offered a bright smile and greeted Tye with a warm hug and questions about his life. Tye responds easily, subtly shuffling away from Bart’s reach. He isn’t much for the casual affection that Bart gives out. He’ll accept a couple of hugs every now and then, but for the most part, he likes to have his own space. 

Bart isn’t fazed by the distance though, instead moving next to Jaime while Tye talks and grabbing onto Jaime’s hand. Tye looks at their hands and frowns for a second, but he doesn’t falter. Or comment on it. Thankfully. Jaime’s heart is racing.

They get their tickets and snacks, Jaime sitting in the middle of them in the theater. Bart wraps himself around Jaime’s arm and steals some of Jaime’s drink throughout the movie when he’s not whispering something that makes Jaime laugh. Jaime catches himself leaning too close to Bart, way too close for friends to be, the thoughts of making out in the dark like a couple of teenagers popping into his head too many times as they watch the movie. He has to force himself to sit back, pointedly ignoring Khaji Da’s scathing comments or the looks Tye is giving him. 

Nothing. 

It means _nothing._

Jaime has to repeat it to himself. 

Maybe he’ll believe it if he repeats it enough. 

Then the movie is over and they’re all filing out, chatting with one another. Bart is a little squirmy and has to excuse himself to go to the bathroom. Not a surprise since he finished his own theater-sized drink and half of Jaime’s. He takes off at a normal pace for once, probably because he’s finally taking the secret identity thing seriously. It only took years. Jaime watches him leave then flinches when something hits the back of his head. 

“Hey!” he protests, knowing it’s Tye hitting him. Khaji Da didn’t warn him of any hostiles, so whatever is happening is beneath him. 

“Don’t be like that,” Tye says. “You know how much I hate being the third wheel.” 

Jaime frowns. “Third wheel? Tye, you’re our friend. Sure, you don’t know Bart very well, but I want you two to get along.” 

“And we’ll get along just fine, when I’m not crashing your date,” Tye snaps. “What the fuck, dude?” 

Jaime’s eyes go wide, mouth dropping open. “Date?” he asks. “This isn’t a date.” 

“Right,” Tye rolls his eyes, “and I’m Wonder Woman.” He shakes his head. “Like I get being nervous about a one-on-one date, but if you want a group date, actually invite a _group_ , idiot.” 

“This isn’t a date,” Jaime repeats insistently. 

“Uh-huh,” Tye says, his eyes flickering over Jaime’s right shoulder. Jaime turns to see where Tye was looking and sees Bart making a hasty retreat. He’s still not super tall, but Jaime can recognize that head of hair anywhere. Bart’s shoulders are hunched and he’s moving at a pace that would be considered quick, but Jaime can see him blurring around the edges, like he’s barely holding back from disappearing. “I know you’re not a liar, but I’m pretty sure you’re an idiot, so that’s what I’m going to call you.” 

Jaime turns back to his friend. “We’re not dating,” he repeats, weaker this time. They aren’t, right? 

_“I agree with Tye Longshadow,”_ Khaji Da cuts in. 

Tye crosses his arms over his chest. “Jaime, he was hanging off your arm,” Tye says slowly with emphasis, “and looking at you with those damn eyes.” 

“Bart touches everyone. He’s a tactile person,” Jaime argues. “And everyone,” he swallows, “everyone has eyes.” 

Tye rolls his eyes. “You’re such an idiot. I thought you two would be making out mid-movie. Are you telling me the only thing keeping you from being disgusting was your own idiocy?”

Jaime frowns. “That’s not very nice–and it wasn’t a date!” 

“Yeah, you said that, but you’re not trying to convince me, you’re trying to convince yourself.” 

“Tye, you’re being–” He stops talking when he feels his phone buzz. He pulls it out, hoping it’s Aqualad or Nightwing calling him away for a mission. Instead it’s a text from Bart.

**_Sorry. Got a call from Wally. Had to bail. Cya :)_ **

“See?” Jaime says proudly, holding the phone out for Tye to read. “He had to leave for other reasons.” 

Tye gives him another flat look. “Uh-huh. He just so _happened_ to get called away the moment you insisted that this wasn’t a date. Grow up, Jaime.” Tye crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m not surprised that he’s hurt, the way you were looking at him and all that.” 

“Looking at him?!” 

Tye rolls his eyes. “Yeah, don’t play dumb. If even _I_ can tell that you like him, _he_ definitely knows. Especially that he could kiss you right on the mouth and you’d let him, and even then you’d probably convince yourself that Bart was being friendly!” Jaime cringes. He can’t exactly deny that. “Okay, I’ve done my work for today. You’re going to call Wally and find out that Bart isn’t actually with him, and then you’re going to fix stuff. You’re a big boy. I’m sure you can figure it out.” 

Jaime frowns, but that’s fair. Tye has an aversion to anything too lovey-dovey. He’s trying to be better, but this situation is definitely too daytime television for him to stick around more than he has. “Sorry, Tye.” 

Tye waves him off. “You owe me and I’ll cash in soon.” 

Jaime huffs in amusement as Tye walks off without another word. Most likely Tye will break Jaime’s wallet with some take-out. Jaime doesn’t mind, since Tye usually shares his windfall and it turns into a fun night of gaming. He’ll start saving. 

He heads out of the theater and dials Wally’s number. It rings for a suspiciously long time. Then, before it can go to voicemail, Jaime hears a breathless, _“Hello?”_

“Wally?” 

_“Wally can't come to the phone right now, can I take a message?”_

“Dick?” 

_“I hope so, I was wearing his underwear.”_

Jaime groans. While Tye is generally right about most things, especially when Jaime is being an idiot, Jaime was holding out hope that Tye was wrong. But if Wally is with Dick, there’s no way that Wally called Bart. “Shit,” Jaime curses, rubbing his forehead. 

_“Were you expecting someone else?”_

“I was hoping that Wally did really call Bart away,” Jaime says.

_“Uh… I’m gonna put you on speakerphone.”_ There’s a rustling sound and Dick sounds like he’s coming from further away now. _“Why would Wally call Bart away?”_

_“Bart?”_ Wally asks, confused. _“What’s wrong with Bart?”_

“We went out to a movie and he might’ve heard something that upset him and he told me he had to leave because Wally called him.” 

_“Wally has been pretty busy for the last hour… at least,”_ Dick says smugly. Jaime grimaces, but he figures that he probably deserves this. 

_“What upset him?”_ Wally cuts in, his tone no-nonsense. 

“He probably overheard me telling Tye that we weren’t on a date,” Jaime pouts. 

_“We? You and Tye?”_ Wally asks.

“No,” Jaime sighs. “Me and Bart. Tye was upset with me because he got third-wheeled.” 

_“You invited Tye on your date?”_ Dick asks, sounding disappointed. 

“I didn’t know it was a date!” Jaime yells. 

There’s some more rustling over the phone and Jaime can hear Dick complaining about something, then Wally’s voice is a lot closer. _“What do you mean you didn’t know it was a date?”_

Wally’s tone has Jaime’s spine going straight. Jaime has a sudden vision of an overprotective big brother and Jaime feels like he should watch his words carefully. “I didn’t know,” he repeats calmly. “Bart just asked me if I wanted to go to the movies. I said yes.” 

_“You’ve been on three other dates,”_ Wally hisses at him. 

“Three?!” Jaime echoes. “How… when? I didn’t… three?!” 

_“Yes, three. I know because I haven’t been able to hear the end of it. How did you not know?”_

“He’s never actually asked me out,” Jaime argues. 

_“What?”_

“No, he never actually asked me on a date.” 

_“What?”_ Wally repeats, sounding more incredulous. 

“He asked me if I wanted to go to the movies, or hang out, or to join me on a walk. He’s never said the words ‘hey, wanna go on a date,’” Jaime says. 

He can hear Dick laughing over the line. _“A speedster wanting to go for a walk?”_ he says. _“I think that should’ve been a big clue.”_

“He is _more_ than just a speedster, bat,” Jaime growls. Jaime is a little shocked at his own anger on Bart’s behalf, but he’s so much more than his powers. He isn’t a miniature Wally, he’s his own person. 

_“Okay, okay, no need to name-call,”_ Wally says calmly. _“So what are you going to do?”_

“What?” 

_“What are you going to do now that you know that Bart would like to date you?”_ Wally asks slowly. 

Jaime pauses mid-step, brain going blank. For some reason, he never thought about it that way. His stomach flips and he sways where he stands. Oh God. Bart likes him. Bart _likes_ him. And Jaime has a very short window to fix this. “Give me two days to fix this,” he tells Wally.

He hangs up before Wally can respond and practically sprints home. He has a date to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor bart!!! D: 
> 
> Poor Ty! idk if anyone else has had to suffer being third wheel, but it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	6. Date Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date, the fifth. Jaime finally knows they're going out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until morning to post this, but i'm up editing something else and i thought "hey, why not?" so all that's left is the bonus chapter
> 
> essentially if you're not here for the smut, this will be all <3 hope you enjoy it and you enjoyed this ride!

If there’s one thing that Jaime can count on, it’s that Bart will always pretend that he’s okay even when he’s hurt. He hates that Bart does that, but it’s working in his favor now. All it took was a phone call and an invitation to hang out and Bart is on his way over, like the other day never happened. Most people would take a break to lick their wounds, but not Bart. No, he’s going to power through everything because that’s what he always does. 

Thankfully Jaime’s only taken one day to plan everything out, but he has yet to actually say the word “date.” Jaime sat for a while yesterday, trying to figure out why Bart never actually asked him on a date, using the word, but while he was on the phone with Bart, inviting him over, the word got caught in his throat. And Jaime  _ knows _ that Bart likes him. It’s nerve-wracking to say it out loud. 

And he has yet to say it. 

Khaji Da hasn’t been helpful in any way. He doesn’t understand, in his words, “human courting rituals” and is more or less mocking Jaime for being so scared. He fights monsters, he’s been to space, he’s fought  _ aliens in space, _ and asking Bart Allen on a date has him shaking in his boots. Jaime has gotten good at ignoring Khaji Da, deeply regretting asking him for ideas in the first place. 

Seriously, Jaime should’ve known better. All of Khaji Da’s suggestions revolved around some kind of combat training. Of  _ course _ the scarab would think combat training is romantic. Or whatever the scarab considers romantic in any sense. Jaime won’t be defeated so easily, though. 

And he has the perfect plan, and Bart is on his way over.

Jaime hasn’t given himself much time to freak out about what he’s wearing, which is probably for the best. Khaji Da is laughing at him for putting so much thought into his clothing choice. Jaime ignores the insults. Khaji Da only has one look; he doesn’t understand style and he never will because it won’t help during battle. That said, Jaime has gone for casual and comfortable: a nice, dark button-up, clean jeans, and a zip-up hoodie that he can offer to Bart later in the night if he gets cold. Maybe he shouldn’t be thinking about stuff like that, but he doesn’t have time to contemplate a change because there’s a knock on the door. 

Jaime opens the door before he loses his nerve. Bart is there, smiling up at Jaime, but it’s a more subdued smile. It’s not easy to tell just by looking at him, but Bart is definitely putting up a front. It’s only because Jaime is his best friend that he can see the mask at all. Jaime does not like seeing that and he wishes that he wasn’t the cause of it, but all he can do now is make up for it. “Ready to go?” Jaime asks, stepping outside and locking the door behind him. 

“Go?” Bart questions.

“Yeah, there’s this place I want to check out,” Jaime says easily, trying not to let his nerves show. It feels like there’s something in the back of his throat. “It’s pretty close, we can walk it.” 

“O-Okay…” Bart says, looking confused. “Jaime, I don’t know if I want to be around people.” He takes a step back and crosses his arms over his chest. Jaime’s heart breaks. It’s a subtle acknowledgement that Bart isn’t totally himself right now. Bart will continue to push through it, but Bart is telling him that it won’t be easy. 

“It won’t be busy,” Jaime promises, sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. This would be so much easier if he just told Bart that he planned this as a date, but the words won’t come. The last thing he wants to do is hurt Bart more than he has. Hell, he hates how much pain he’s caused in the first place, albeit accidentally. “An hour?” he offers, like it’s a compromise.

Bart sighs after a moment, but nods. “Okay.” He drops his arms and Jaime wants to grab onto Bart’s hand, but his hands are suddenly sweaty and he doesn’t want to subject Bart to that. 

Jaime swallows and nods, starting to move. ‘Let’s go.” 

* * *

Bart is confused. Jaime is acting kind of strange: tense and awkward. He’s not sure why Jaime would be acting that way. Bart’s not acting any differently than before his stupid attempts at dates: he’s made a vow to be a better friend. Jaime has made it clear that he doesn’t think of Bart that way, and yeah, it hurt and it was embarrassing to realize that those dates that Bart was so excited about didn’t mean the same to Jaime, but Jaime is his friend. Nothing has to change, and Bart is going to make sure that happens. 

But Jaime isn’t making that easy with how close he is and how  _ awkward  _ he’s being. Apparently the place he wanted to check out was a butterfly arboretum. Jaime was all blushy about it, too, half-assedly explaining what it was. Bart had no idea there was even one here, or what it was until they got inside. Any awkward feelings he felt towards Jaime disappeared when they entered the humid space full of beautiful greenery and bright flowers. His hair is probably going to get a little poofy, but it’s worth it. 

He’s been here, in this timeline you could say, for years now and he hasn’t seen so many bright colors before. Sure the flora is beautiful, covering the whole space with a lushness that warms you to the soul, but it’s the butterflies that catch his eye. The butterflies, all of different colors, bright and dark and pretty, flutter around lazily, flashing bright colors like nature’s confetti. The future he left behind was so devoid of color and beauty that seeing this takes his breath away. It’s so beautiful and bright and one of the few spaces where Bart wants to slow down to enjoy it more. 

It takes him a long time to notice the other people in here with them and he blushes when he realizes that they’re all couples, holding hands and leaning into one another to enjoy the sights. They’re adorable, all smiles and pink cheeks. Bart doesn’t know if they’re blushing from the heat for one another. Either way, adorable Then he realizes that Jaime is standing close to him. Bart’s throat feels tight and he looks down, trying not to draw attention to how close they are. Maybe he can pretend? Like, yeah, he said he wouldn’t think about Jaime that way anymore, but he can pretend in his mind, right?

He shuffles closer, unable to help himself, hyper-aware that their hands are close together. Bart’s been holding Jaime’s hand a lot lately, but it feels like he’s not allowed to anymore. So he’s  _ super _ surprised when  _ Jaime _ is the one who reaches out first. Time seems to slow down for Bart. It might actually be slowing down, but Bart forces himself to stay in the present, holding his breath. 

It’s a slow process, knuckles brushing together at first, tentative. It could easily be a mistake, then a second time, definitely on purpose, but still shy. Then fingers brushing over his, also shy. Then one last burst and...

...his hand is in Jaime’s and they’re holding each other’s hands. Bart breathes unsteadily, scared and hopeful. Jaime looks casual, the only sign that he  _ might _ be affected is a slightly pink color to his cheeks. Damn his skin tone, it’s hard to see when he’s blushing. Unlike Bart, who’s sure that he’s as red as a tomato. 

Something inside Bart is telling him to stay quiet, to enjoy this while it lasts. When will he be able to do this again? But Bart needs to say something. He has to  _ know. _ “Jaime?” he asks, voice shaky. 

Jaime’s cheeks go from pink to red, but it’s still nothing compared to how red Bart is. “Yeah?”

Bart swallows, squeezing Jaime’s hand, wishing that his fingers were between Jaime’s, just so he could hold on tighter. “Why are you holding my hand?”

“Uhhh…” 

“Because I don’t mind,” Bart adds quickly. “I just want to… want to make sure that there aren’t anymore… misunderstandings.” That’s the closest Bart will get to admitting his stupid feelings without just blurting them out. He likes being physically affectionate with Jaime, he’s a great cuddler, and his hands are very nice to hold, but he can keep it strictly platonic. Bart can control himself, despite his alias. 

“Yeah, I think it would be good to clear the air,” Jaime says. Bart tenses, preparing for the worst, but Jaime’s hold is firm. That gives Bart some hope that things won’t be totally ruined. Jaime clears his throat before speaking. “I didn’t know that those were dates.”

Bart’s eyes go wide. He looks up at Jaime in disbelief, his nerves forgotten. “What? I asked you out!”

“Yeah,” Jaime nods, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, not looking at Bart but it looks like it’s out of embarrassment, “but we go out all the time together, and we went to that movie we talked about seeing, and a new restaurant, which we always do…” Bart’s blush deepens. That’s  _ true _ . He never was that clear with Jaime, and they do all that stuff together already. “Not like I’m much better,” Jaime mutters to himself, bringing Bart out of his head.

“What?” Bart asks, trying to process how much of a loser he is for fucking up so brilliantly. This is really all his fault for being so vague about everything. He has to make it up to Jaime somehow. He’s not sure how, but–

“I’m sure you have no idea that I want this to be a date,” Jaime says, a strained smile on his face. He’s looking directly into Bart’s eyes.

For the first time in… ever, maybe, Bart thinks  _ nothing. _ It’s like his mind blanks out, leaving an echoing darkness and Jaime’s words echo forever. “Huh?” Bart says, eloquent as ever. Then he looks around. They look like any other couple here, holding hands and whatnot. Bart’s heart speeds up. “What?” he asks again, something like hope in his chest. 

Jaime sighs, running a hand through his hair. It sticks up a bit, his hair a little frizzy from the humidity. It’s so cute. “I was hoping this could be a date, but I probably should’ve asked you before and not in the middle of it.” 

Bart thinks he might cry. From relief, surely. “It’s okay,” Bart says shakily, a smile splitting his face. He probably looks unhinged, but he’s too happy. He grabs onto Jaime’s hand with his free hand, so he’s holding onto him with both hands. “I’d… I’d like this to be a date, too.” He has to force himself not to vibrate away from his excitement. It feels like it took a million years to say those words and he has to look away so he can focus. 

Jaime lets out a breath, like he’s been holding it for a while. “Thank God.” Then Jaime is lifting Bart’s face up by his chin and Bart can only think that Jaime is  _ really close _ before their lips are pressed together and he stops thinking again. Bart sucks in a breath, eyes going wide before he closes them and melts into the kiss. 

It’s everything he imagined and more. More wonderful, amazing, beautiful… awkward. Not in the sense that Jaime doesn’t know what he’s doing, that isn’t the case  _ at all, _ but everything that’s led up to this point. Although Bart knows that he wouldn’t change it, not his stupid awkwardness, or how much of disaster his own dates were, not when he’s in this perfect moment. Jaime smells so good this close, some expensive cologne that Bart doesn’t have half a chance of identifying without looking at the bottle and whatever hair gel he puts on, with a small tinge of warm metal. 

Jaime’s lips are so soft and they don’t stop moving. Bart doesn’t want this moment to end, but it must. Jaime pulls back first, hand still gently cupping Bart’s jaw. Bart keeps his eyes closed, savoring the moment for a few more seconds, licking his lips. They’re a little swollen, probably red, but nothing too obvious. Then, when he opens his eyes, he’s greeted by one of the most beautiful sights in the world: Jaime Reyes smiling gently at him. Bart slumps a bit, leaning into Jaime’s gentle touch, happier than he’s felt in a long time. Maybe ever. 

“I figured you were waiting a while for that,  _ cariño,” _ Jaime whispers.

Bart’s heart skips a beat at the pet name. He doesn’t know what it means exactly (Spanish is a language that Bart has a problem picking up), but the way that Jaime says it, he knows it means something different. Something special. “I have,” he says, nodding, a bright smile on his face. “Can we do it again?” 

Jaime chuckles and leans in without another word. This time Bart meets him halfway, heart bursting with energy. Jaime smiles against his lips, freeing his one hand to catch Bart’s hips. Bart throws his arms over Jaime’s shoulders, going to his tiptoes to get closer. 

This is easier than accidentally slowing down time. 

When they pull back again, Bart feels like he could fly. He hugs Jaime close, snuggling up right under his chin. Jaime’s arms feel so perfect around him. When he looks around the arboretum again, everything seems a little brighter. He wraps himself around one of Jaime’s arms and they continue their little tour. Bart would love nothing more than to go somewhere more private and kiss Jaime until his lips fall off, but this place is perfect and Bart wants to see everything. Jaime doesn’t seem to mind, smile on his face the entire time. 

They have a good time, wandering around, whispering to one another, sneaking kisses, and holding their breath when butterflies land on their noses. Jaime gets a great picture of Bart with a butterfly on his nose, but he never stays still enough for Bart to get one of him, not that it matters. Bart got a nice picture of Jaime smiling, so he’ll call it a win. 

Bart goes back to Jaime’s place after and they make some supper together, Bart getting his wish to sit on the counter and being kissed until the food is ready. It’s definitely better than he imagined. 

Then they tuck into a movie, cuddled close together. Bart has never felt happier.

He falls asleep in Jaime’s bed with Jaime’s arms around him and he can’t imagine a better date. It’s going to be really hard to top this one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't they adorable??? I know i love them so much <3
> 
> There is one more chapter but it is purely self indulgent sexing. That'll be out soon! I hope you like what's been written! please leave a comment or kudos!


	7. BONUS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-indulgent sex scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's as the summary says, this is just bonus sex because i really wanted to write some smut, but the plot wouldn't allow me to put it in, so i had to make a whole nother chapter for it! 
> 
> well, I'm finally earning that E rating. Hope everyone enjoys!
> 
> Some tags for this chapter: anal sex, fingering, powerbotom!Bart (which was a shock to me)

Bart is getting impatient. 

He can be patient, he really can. 

Just like he can keep his mouth shut when it really matters, but he’s getting  _ impatient _ . 

It’s been about a month since he and Jaime’s first,  _ real,  _ **_official_ ** date at the butterfly arboretum and all they’ve done since then is kiss! 

Not that the kissing has been bad, no way, no how, Bart would never trade those kisses for anything else in the whole wide world. But Bart has been  _ burning _ . 

He’s used to feeling an itch under his skin, especially when he hasn’t moved in a while, but this is so different. 

He gets that itch when Jaime touches him, like on the arm or his waist, and his skin  _ tingles _ . If Bart didn’t know better, he’d say that he has an allergy to his boyfriend. But it’s the exact opposite. It’s like Bart’s entire being is screaming “touch me, touch me, please!” desperately and without shame. Too bad  _ Bart _ seems to be the only one who’s noticed it. 

Jaime has been normal. Normal and sweet. He holds Bart’s hand, cuddles with him when they watch movies, or kisses him whenever Bart asks. Bart feels like a desperate loser with how many times he’s  _ asked _ to be kissed. But he can’t stop asking. Bart can’t think of a reason to stop asking.

Jaime is kind of old-fashioned, Bart has reasoned, but he’s not extremely old-fashioned. Bart has no idea what his timeline for sex is. All the TV shows say three dates, and some magazines talk about first dates, or four, or seven! They’ve been on way more than that! They see each other almost every day and they go on dates always. Jaime isn’t waiting for marriage, he’s slept with past girlfriends before, but what’s the timeline?  _ What’s the timeline? _ Bart  _ needs _ it. 

So because of that need, he’s in front of Wally again, telling him all his frustrations and requesting advice. Once he’s done telling Wally everything (probably oversharing, if he’s being honest), the older speedster has a wide-eyed look on his face. Bart would be embarrassed, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He’s so fucking horny. Everything else is secondary.

Wally clears his throat. “So what are you trying to ask me?” 

“How did you get Dick to sleep with you?” Bart asks. “I can’t get Jaime to f–” 

“Okay, okay,” Wally cuts him off, holding his hands up. “I really don’t need to know much more than that.” He hides his face in his hands and rubs his temples, taking a couple of deep breaths. “So you haven’t had sex yet and you’re… frustrated.” 

“Yeah,” Bart scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s about it.” That’s a much more polite way to put Bart’s problem, but again, everything is coming second to his “frustration,” including his manners.

Wally shakes his head. “Have you tried to talk to him?”

Bart frowns. “About what?” 

“About sex, Bart,” Wally deadpans. “You gotta talk to your partner.” 

“That’s rich coming from you, Wally ‘let’s-make-a-bet’ West,” Bart grumbles. 

Wally sighs, slumping in his chair. “Yeah, I wasn’t very good at the whole communicating thing, but I learned from those mistakes. I talk to Dick about everything now, and we’re better for it. So my advice to you is sit Jaime down and have a good, mature conversation about sex.” 

Bart blushes. Yeah, he wants sex, but isn’t just talking about it more embarrassing than just  _ doing _ it? “Why do we have to talk about it? You didn’t have to.” 

“But you and Jaime aren’t me and Dick,” Wally points out. He runs his hands through his hair, messing it up more than before, sighing. Once he settles, he gives Bart a caring look. “Just talk to him.” 

“It can’t be that easy,” Bart argues. Seems stupidly easy.

Wally shrugs. “Sometimes it is.Now,  _ please _ go and talk to Jaime about this or next time, I’ll come to you when I have a sex thing with Dick.” 

Bart grimaces and shakes his head. He doesn’t want to know about that. “I’ll pass on that. Thanks!” Then he’s gone. He doesn’t want to hear about Wally’s sex life. It’s totally different from what he did because Bart doesn’t  _ have _ a sex life to talk about, just a lack of one.

* * *

So that’s how Bart finds himself  _ here _ , pacing Jaime’s living room, waiting for his boyfriend to get back from work. Yes, Bart still “breaks in” regularly and it isn’t uncommon for Bart to already be in Jaime’s house before he gets home. He’s gone over what he should say a million times in his head. Honestly, Bart is a little embarrassed, but Wally is totally right. They have to talk to one another, that’s how they got here in the first place: talking and not assuming things. And Bart is going to be cool and calm while they talk this over. Like a reasonable, rational adult. 

So it kind of shocks everyone in the room when Jaime walks in through the front door and before he can even greet Bart, his mouth open, Bart yells, “Why won’t you have sex with me?!” 

Jaime pauses in the doorway, hand still on the knob, eyes wide, jaw dropping a bit. Bart has to take a moment to realize what he did. He balls his hands into fists and clears his throat, offering a shaky smile. “I meant to ask that a little more calmly.” And to not sound as desperate as he feels.

Jaime is still blinking at him. Bart wonders if he’s wrecked what they have. He hopes not. Jaime doesn’t say anything, but he enters the apartment, closing and locking the door behind him. “Jaime?” Bart asks when Jaime doesn’t move from his spot at the door. 

“I’m trying to think of an answer,” Jaime says, tapping the door a bit. It’s a tic of his. He always gets on Bart for tapping his toes, but Jaime taps things all the time. Hypocrite is what he is. “I guess I’ve never thought of it,” Jaime finally says, turning around, looking confused. 

Bart frowns. “You’ve never thought of it?” he repeats in disbelief. Is Jaime not attracted to him in that way? He knows that just because you can kiss someone doesn’t always mean you want to have sex with them. Bart can handle that, he really can, but he is  _ really _ attracted to Jaime. He’d really like to be able to have sex with Jaime. 

Jaime shrugs, looking shocked. “No, I haven’t.” 

Bart swallows, crossing his arms over his chest. “D-Do you not want to?” 

“What?” Jaime asks, eyes snapping to Bart. “No, I mean yes, I mean.” He makes a frustrated noise and crosses the room to gather Bart in his arms. Bart hugs Jaime back, holding on tight. “I just… you’ve been my friend for so long, Bart,” Jaime whispers, “and you’re always really affectionate. I’ve just… all the kissing and the cuddling is just… something you do, I guess. I haven’t really gotten into the mindset that you’re my… my boyfriend.” The way he says it sounds like it’s the first time that Jaime’s thought of Bart that way. 

Bart feels like laughing. Of course. He’s always just dragging Jaime along at his pace and Jaime is really good at going with the flow without thinking about it. Not to say that Jaime can’t stand up for himself, but if he doesn’t mind, he tends to just go along with Bart more often than not. And Bart knows when to back off. They have a good dynamic. “You’re kind of hopeless, Jaime,” Bart teases. 

“Holy fuck, you’re my  _ boyfriend.,”  _ Jaime says, squeezing Bart tighter. 

Bart laughs. “Yeah, I fucking am.” 

“Holy shit.” 

Bart pushes back a bit and looks up at Jaime, who’s looking a little shell-shocked. “Is that why I have to ask you to kiss me all the time?” 

Jaime blushes deeply, ducking his head. “Yeah… sorry.” 

“I hope I’m the only one you’re kissing when asked to be kissed,” Bart teases, smiling lazily up at Jaime. He feels relaxed now that he knows what’s going on inside Jaime’s head. No more guessing games. 

Jaime huffs. “Yeah, you’re the only one.”

Bart’s smile goes wider. “Good. Kiss me?” 

Jaime shakes his head, but does what Bart asks. Bart hums, smiling against Jaime’s mouth. It’s kind of hilarious that Jaime is the last one to realize they’re dating. Really. Literally. Everyone else knows. All their friends, their families, everyone. Bart could  _ not _ keep this a secret. Well, if Jaime wanted to keep it quiet, he probably could’ve, but Jaime never asked. Bart wasn’t about to  _ not _ brag about it. No way. Jaime’s lucky that Bart hasn’t found a rooftop and a megaphone, honestly.

Bart throws his arms around Jaime’s neck and kisses Jaime lazily. Jaime’s hands move down to Bart’s hips, pulling him closer. He deepens the kiss a bit, pushing his tongue into Bart’s mouth. Bart’s a little surprised, but welcomes the intrusion with a moan, giving as good as he gets. 

Jaime’s hands get a little bolder, pressing into Bart’s sides, then going underneath his clothes. Bart moans at the unexpected touch. Jaime hasn’t initiated that kind of touch the entire time they’ve been together. He breaks away from the kiss, panting. “Now?” he asks. Is it really so simple? He put the bug in Jaime’s ear and now they’re going to have sex?

Jaime blinks at him. “Yes?” 

Bart wants to laugh, but instead he feels heat shoot up his spine. He nods quickly. He didn’t even have to ask. Not really. Not directly. “Uh-huh,” he nods and pushes Jaime in the chest, knocking him back onto the couch. Jaime falls onto it with an  _ oof _ , looking up at Bart with wide eyes. Bart climbs into Jaime’s lap, pushing their mouths together again and grinding down. 

Jaime moans, hands finding Bart’s hips and holding on. Bart takes his time, running his hands through Jaime’s hair, messing it up, and sucking on his lips, hands running down Jaime’s neck and dipping underneath his collar. Jaime is shaking underneath him after a few minutes, his skin hot, the tips of his fingers sometimes bumping into Khaji Da. When Bart pulls back, Jaime’s lips are swollen. His own probably aren’t much better, but it’s a good look for Jaime. He’s panting, eyes closed, looking blissed out. Bart smiles. “Feel good?” he asks. He brushes his thumb at the hinge of Jaime's jaw, taking note of the way Jaime sighs.

Jaime nods. “If you kissed me like that before I would’ve gotten the picture much sooner,” he says, sounding distracted, eyes still closed. 

Bart laughs, giving him another peck. “You want me to kiss you like that in front of the team?” 

Jaime grimaces, slitting his eyes open. “Maybe not.” 

“Is it because of this?” Bart asks, reaching down and brushing his fingers over the hardness in Jaime’s pants. Jaime moans, hips twitching into the touch. Bart moves his hand out of reach, smirking at the way Jaime is panting.

“Yeah,” Jaime says, breathless. 

Bart hums, deciding to touch Jaime more firmly, heat blooming in his chest with every sound Jaime makes and the hardness he can feel through the fabric. He undoes Jaime’s jeans, reaching inside and touching bare skin. Jaime moans, bucking his hips up hard, nearly knocking Bart from his perch. Bart manages to stay seated and doesn’t hesitate to start stroking. 

“Fuck,” Jaime pants, head thrown back. He’s not touching Bart anymore, but it looks like he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. Bart kisses Jaime’s neck, slowly working his hand over Jaime’s cock. His other hand runs over Jaime’s chest, fingers teasing over hardened nipples through his shirt. “Bart, oh God.” 

“Are you still holding back?” Bart asks, sucking on Jaime’s neck and pinching one of Jaime’s nipples. 

“I can’t think…” Jaime whines, arching underneath Bart.

“You want me to stop?” 

“No!” 

Bart smiles, squeezing Jaime’s cock lightly. Jaime groans, shuddering. He looks blissed out, eyes half-open and head fallen back. He’s touching Bart’s knees, but he still seems unsure what to do with his hands. “You have lube and condoms?” Bart asks. Jaime nods, exhaling shakily. “Where?”

“Bed–Bedroom,” Jaime says, gesturing in that direction. 

“Back in a flash,” Bart says, kissing him firmly for a second, then speeds off. 

He’s back in less than a second for Jaime, but he went to the bedroom, rummaged through almost all of Jaime’s drawers trying to find the supplies, removed his pants, and is now back in Jaime’s lap. He leaves the lube and box of condoms he found on the couch next to them. Jaime looks confused then he looks down and his cheeks turn bright red. 

Bart can’t take more time to remove any more clothes, so just the bottoms gone will have to be enough. “Jaime, I’ve had this fantasy about you touching me, will you touch me?” Bart asks. 

Jaime nods dumbly, but doesn’t make a move to do it. Bart rolls his eyes fondly and moves Jaime’s hands for him, placing them on the bare skin of his thighs. Jaime’s fingers twitch, but he doesn’t remove them. Bart kisses him again, moving his hips gently. This kiss is a little slower, meant to entice instead of stealing Jaime’s breath from him. Jaime gets a little braver the longer they make out, starting by petting Bart’s thighs, slowly moving up and back until he’s grabbing Bart’s ass without assistance. Bart moans against Jaime’s lips at the contact, rolling his hips, and puts his hands back in Jaime’s pants. One goes around the shaft, the other goes a little further down to play with his balls. When he touches Jaime again, Jaime’s fingers dig into Bart’s backside. Bart moans. 

Jaime’s touch gets a little bolder, squeezing and holding and rubbing while he arches his neck up to kiss Bart again. Bart is enjoying the attention and takes his time touching Jaime back. Then dry fingers start to get closer to his entrance.

Bart leaves Jaime’s balls alone and grabs the tube of lube he took from Jaime’s room. He holds it up, “Here.” Jaime stares at it, blinking for a second. Bart shakes it a bit. “Do you need a lesson?” he asks with a smile. 

Bart isn’t sure if Jaime will ever stop blushing, but he shakes his head and takes the lube from Bart with shaking hands. Bart smiles and goes back to marking up Jaime’s neck, his other hand staying out of Jaime’s pants and playing with Jaime’s nipples again. Jaime groans, whispering something in Spanish, then Bart feels lube-slicked fingers on his skin. He moans, pushing back into the touch. He probably won’t need a lot of prep, since he’s been frustrated for so long and he’s definitely not been celibate with himself while waiting for Jaime to make a move. 

Jaime’s fingers press into him tentatively. Bart can hardly wait. “Jaime, please,” he begs, hips moving without permission. He needs more and Jaime gives him more, starting out with two fingers that slide to the first knuckle easily. Bart moans loudly, his hold on Jaime’s cock stilling. Jaime’s moan echoes his. He starts pumping his fingers into Bart, pushing in further with every thrust in, a little slow for Bart’s taste, but that doesn’t matter. Jaime is  _ finally _ touching him. 

He keeps on whispering to Jaime, encouraging him to move faster. Jaime is whispering stuff back, but Bart is sure that he’s not speaking English anymore. It shouldn’t be as hot as it is, but he burns with every word whispered by Jaime. 

While Jaime fingers him, Bart works Jaime’s cock, even sliding a condom on at one point. He’s not sure that Jaime’s noticed or how he did it, but that’s okay. Jaime moves to three fingers, the hand not inside Bart digging bruises into Bart’s hip. “Jaime, please, please, please,” Bart begs. He needs it.  _ Needs  _ it. Needs it more than breathing.

“Bart…” Jaime groans, hooking his fingers and stilling, making Bart scream. Yeah, that’s enough of that. Bart steals the lube back, tugs Jaime’s pants down far enough so everything is out, and coats his cock with lube. His jeans are barely to the middle of his thighs, but Bart has exactly what he needs in the open. Jaime moans, hips thrusting into the touch as Bart strokes him a few more times to spread the lube. 

Bart pulls Jaime’s fingers from him and gets himself into position. Jaime’s wet hand goes to Bart’s thigh, slick, but not moving. Bart doesn’t waste time, putting the head of Jaime’s cock at his entrance and sinking down. They moan together, Bart’s eyes rolling back, a smile on his face. This is what he wanted. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jaime grunts, fingernails digging into Bart’s thighs. 

Bart rolls his hips, moaning at the feeling of Jaime inside him. Jaime is incoherent, hips moving but not accomplishing much. Bart really likes the view. Jaime is hazy-eyed, mouth open, a blush high on his cheeks. From this angle, it doesn’t look like Jaime is missing a stitch of clothing. He holds onto Jaime’s head and kisses him slowly. Jaime kisses him back desperately. Then Bart starts to move up and down. 

The  _ sounds _ Jaime makes are  _ music _ Bart could listen to forever. He’s making his own sounds, but they’re nothing compared to Jaime’s. The drag and slide of Jaime inside him is better than he could’ve imagined. Arousal burns through him, starting in his belly and spreading through his body, but it’s a low burn. Their position isn’t good for him to get the best leverage or speed, but they can try something else next time. Right now, he wants to take Jaime apart completely. 

What he doesn’t expect is to have Jaime grab him underneath his thighs and flip them over, so Bart’s back is on the couch and Jaime is between his legs. He does it without slipping out and starts thrusting at a pace that has Bart’s mind skipping beats. It’s like bursts of white every time Jaime thrusts, in or out. And he’s merciless. 

Bart cries out, louder than Jaime, arching every time Jaime bites him. And does he bite Bart, on his collarbones, shoulders, his chest. He’s pushed Bart’s shirt up and is abusing his nipples. Not that Bart is complaining. There’s something primal about Jaime that has Bart wanting to shake apart. Bart holds on for the ride, closing his eyes and getting lost in the pleasure. “Jaime, oh my god!” Bart cries. He yells louder when he feels a hand wrap around his cock. There’s no way he can last much longer. 

He tries to tell Jaime, to warn him, but the words aren’t words anymore. The only full word he can say anymore is  _ Jaime _ and even that is nearly incoherent. Jaime’s ruthless too, stroking Bart’s cock, teasing the tip, his other hand tweaking a nipple. Although “tweaking” is a bit of an understatement. Jaime is  _ pulling _ and pleasure is stabbing through Bart from that point.

Bart’s head falls back and he comes all over himself, Jaime’s name on his lips. He can’t hear anything else, blood rushing in his ears, coming back to his body at the tail end of Jaime’s orgasm. Bart tries to flex some muscles, to prolong that pleasure, enjoying the way Jaime’s face falls with pleasure and he thrusts a few more times. Bart thinks Jaime is growling.

Bart is feeling very loose and satisfied, relaxing into the couch, arm thrown over his head and watching Jaime come down. Jaime pulls out and leans back, but loses his balance, falling right off the couch and onto his ass on the floor. Bart laughs while Jaime groans. “Yeah, yeah,” Jaime grumbles, falling onto his back. “This is why you have sex in a bed.” 

Bart giggles. “Sure, whatever you say.” He sits up so he can see Jaime. Jaime looks like a hot mess right now, pants barely below his ass, cock out, shirt rumpled and covered in stains, and some spots on his neck getting darker, his arm over his eyes. Bart thinks he likes this look on Jaime. 

“I can show you,” Jaime says, peeking out from under his arm. 

Bart tilts his head. “Show me what?” 

“The benefits of having sex in a bed.” 

Bart’s heart beats faster and his eyes go wide. “Now?” 

“If you’re feeling up for it.” 

Bart rips off his shirt. “Last one there has to top!” he yells, jumping over the couch and racing to the bedroom. He doesn’t even need his speed to beat Jaime. He can hear Jaime laughing at him and he jumps face first into the bed and messes up Jaime’s perfectly made bed. 

Jaime joins him a moment later, shirt gone, but his pants pulled up and left undone. Oh, Bart might like  _ this _ look on Jaime better. It’s too close to tell. He has the lube and box of condoms in hand and shakes his head at Bart. “You’re a menace,” he says fondly. 

“But I’m  _ your  _ menace,” Bart says cutely, then lays out on his back, legs spread. “Now c’mon! Show me what’s so great about this bed!” He slaps the bed for good measure.

Jaime laughs and settles himself between Bart’s legs, leaning down and kissing him. Bart kisses him back happily. 

To think just talking to Jaime got him here? Maybe Wally was right. Who knew? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! It's done! Hope you liked it bluepulsebluepulse <3 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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